2. BENJAMIN FAIRCHILD, JR., was born in Dutchess County, Province of New York, probably about 1765, before his parents moved northward and settled at Queensbury, N.Y. He was taken as a captive by the Mohawk Indians when a mere lad and was taken to Canada, before any white men were in that country as is stated in the obituary of the writer's grandfather printed in the Brantford Expositor in Brantford, Ontario, April 10th, 1884. Without doubt he learned the Mohawk Indian language while a captive among the Indians which enabled him afterwards to act as a Government Interpreter.... and see the obituary of Timothy Marsh Fairchild in Chapter XVII.
The interpreter Brant, above referred to, was without doubt, Chief John Brant, who was a son of Chief Joseph Brant, chief of the Mohawks. John Brant was a well-educated Mohawk Indian, who, after his father's death, became chief of the Mohawks...
In the obituary above mentioned, it is written that Benjamin Fairchild, Jr., was taken as a captive by the Mohawk Indians in the Province of New York and taken to that part of Ontario near where Hamilton and Brantford are now before any white settler ever settled in that part of the Province and that thereafter, Benjamin Fairchild, Jr., and his brother Isaac Fairchild, the father of Timothy Marsh Fairchild (1799-1884), established the first trading post in that part of Ontario, first at Port Credit on Lake Ontario northeast from where Hamilton now is located, and then on Fairchild's Creek in Brant County, not far from where Brantford is now located. Evidently Benjamin Fairchild, Jr., afterwards settled with his family, first at Ancaster where two of his daughters were born about 1792, or before that date, as is shown by the Canadian Land Records, and later he evidently settled in Norfolk County and still later at Niagara. The land records hereinafter set out record that he was mentioned in a petition by his wife (F.18, No.10), acted upon June 5th, 1811, as an Indian Interpreter, and other records set out in this chapter record that he was duly appointed as Lieutenant and Indian Interpreter for the Government.
He married first, Mary Hare, and second, Margaret Van Alstine.
Mr. H. Orlo Miller also furnished the following items regarding Benjamin Fairchild, Jr.:
"There are a number of records in the London District Court for the years between 1836 and 1844, with reference to JOHN H. FAIRCHILD, who, I fully believe, was John Hare Fairchild, son of Benjamin Fairchild, Jr., and Mary (Hare) Fairchild."
Unfortunately I can discover nothing further regarding him other than he was a resident of the London District during those years.
References:
London District Court Records
Series B. Nos. 236, 374, 410.
Series BB, Nos. 63, 272.
Series C, Nos. 32, 542.
The following items refer, indubitably, to Benjamin Fairchild, Jr., the Indian Interpreter, who settled at Niagara. It will be noted that other references place him as a resident of the London District, probably in Norfolk County, and the latter refer to his services in the militia in the War of 1812-14. From the parish records of Niagara, it is apparent that he must have settled permanently at that place at some time prior to 1805.
"From MS Minutes of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the London District, from 1st April, 1800 to 12th September, 1809.
October the 18th, 1800.
Benjamin Fairchild, Ensign of the Militia of Norfolk, came into Court, and took the Oath of Allegiance (sic) as such...
Note: The Canadian Land Records, F.18, No. 10 and F.55, No. 10, and F.56, No. 10, hereinafter set out, record that two of the daughters of Benjamin Fairchild, Jr., Margaret Fairchild and Elizabeth Fairchild, were born at Ancaster, Ontario, about 1792, because they must have been 21 years of age when their petitions for land grants were filed and their petitions were acted upon by the Council, February and March, 1813...
Mr. H. Orlo Miller also furnished the following item regarding Mary (Hare) Fairchild, the first wife of Benjamin Fairchild, Jr.:
"On April 11, 1797, the following petition was received by the Upper Canada Land Boar at Newark:
Mary Fairchild, (wife of Benjamin Fairchild, Jr.), praying to be confirmed in Lots 17 in the 1st and 2nd Concessions of Louth with their broken fronts. Ordered that notice be given to Mr. Hare, Mr. Fairchild and to Mr. Clark to attend the Council on Tuesday next."
...it is apparent from previous petitions, that this Mary Fairchild was the daughter of Captain Peter Hare, an officer in Butler's Rangers. The land mentioned in her petition was deeded to Mary (Hare) Fairchild by her brother William. The land concerned is in the Niagara District A,...
A The 3rd (1798), 4th (1826) & 5th (1838) maps on the page picture what began as Niagara District over time, as well as London District and others in the area.
